This invention relates to electrical connectors.
One type of electrical connector used in telephone installations includes a frame having two rows of contact elements with the rear end of the elements connected to insulated wires. The connection of the wires to the contact elements is most commonly performed in a factory by stripping the wire ends and soldering them to the contact elements. Another type of wire installation which is especially useful in field repairs, involves the use of contact elements with slotted upstanding rearward portions which can pierce the insulation of a wire as it is pressed into the slot, to thereby eliminate the need for stripping the wire or soldering it to the contact element. The wires can be attached by first installing them in the grooves of a special jig, locating the jig adjacent to the contact elements, and then transferring the wires from the jig to force the wires into the slots of the contact elements. Afterwards, a hood can be placed over the entire rear portion of the connector frame to protect the wires.
The use of insulation-piercing in the installation of wires can result in several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the wires may move sidewardly out of the slotted contact elements or may break off where the contact elements pierce the insulation. The bundle of wires extending from the connector can be clamped to minimize the possibility of straining the wires, but damage may occur prior to full clamping. In field installation, errors sometime occur in installing a pair of wires in the wrong contact elements. While the wire can be readily pulled out of a slotted contact element, it is difficult to reliably reinstall the wires in the correct contact elements without special tools. An electrical connector of the insulation-piercing type which simplified initial installation and assured secure retention of the wires on the contact elements, but which also permitted rapid removal of a pair of wires and reliable reinstallation without special tools, would greatly aid in field repairs.